Lappin on road to recovery

Canaries midfielder Simon Lappin is back at work - just six days after having his appendix out.

Lappin was rushed to hospital on the eve of last weekend's game at Leeds and was operated on the following night.

But he returned to City's Colney training centre on Friday to begin the path back to fitness.

'He's in this morning, I've just had a chat with him,' said Lambert, who reported no new injury problems ahead of the trip to Barnsley. 'He's doing alright. He will work with the physios and that and we will see how he does.

'It's his first day back this morning and I've left him in their hands and they will be the best people to nurse him along. He has lost a bit of weight, which is normal I think when you have these problems, but the main thing is he's healthy.'

Centre-half Leon Barnett underwent surgery on his damaged hamstring on Tuesday, but Lambert is planning for life without him for the rest of the season. Rob Edwards was brought in on loan from Blackpool last Monday, but his loan expires before the time of the Championship play-offs.

'That's the gamble you take,' said Lambert. 'You have to take the chance. If I hadn't got Rob in time I'm not sure I would have actually got him if I left it a few days later. We had to get him in.'

Chris Martin is still out with a hamstring injury, but there are no new injuries following the draws at Leeds a week ago and against Doncaster in midweek.